 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Grayling |
| Namesake | TheArctic grayling |
| Builder | Fore River Shipbuilding Company,Quincy, Massachusetts |
| Cost | $376,100.98 (hull and machinery)[1] |
| Laid down | 16 April 1908 |
| Launched | 16 June 1909 |
| Sponsored by | Miss Catherine H. Bowles |
| Commissioned | 23 November 1909 |
| Decommissioned | 18 January 1922 |
| Renamed | D-2 (Submarine No.18), 17 November 1911 |
| Stricken | 18 January 1922 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sold for scrapping, 25 September 1922 |
| General characteristics[2] | |
| Class & type | D-classsubmarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 134 ft 10 in (41.10 m) |
| Beam | 13 ft 11 in (4.24 m) |
| Draft | 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 200 feet (61.0 m) |
| Complement |
|
| Armament | 4 ×18 inch (450 mm)bowtorpedo tubes (4torpedoes) |
USSGrayling/D-2 (SS-18), also known as "Submarine No. 18", was one of threeD-class submarines built for theUnited States Navy (USN) in the first decade of the 20th century. She was the first ship of the USN to be named for theArctic grayling, afresh-watergame fish closely related to thetrout
The D-class submarines were enlarged versions of the precedingC class, the first American submarines armed with fourtorpedo tubes. They had a length of 134 ft 10 in (41.10 m)overall, abeam of 13 ft 10 in (4.22 m) and a meandraft of 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m). Theydisplaced 288long tons (293 t) on the surface and 337 long tons (342 t) submerged. The D-class boats had a crew of 1 officer and 14 enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 200 ft (61 m).[3]
For surface running, they were powered by two 300-brake-horsepower (224 kW)gasoline engines, each driving onepropeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 165-horsepower (123 kW)electric motor. They could reach 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) on the surface and 9.5 kn (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of 1,179 nmi (2,184 km; 1,357 mi) at 9.6 kn (17.8 km/h; 11.0 mph) and 24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged.[3]
The boats were armed with four18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They did not carry reloads for them.[4]
Grayling'skeel waslaid down byFore River Shipbuilding Company, inQuincy, Massachusetts, under a subcontract fromElectric Boat Company, ofGroton, Connecticut.Grayling waslaunched on 16 June 1909,sponsored by Miss Catherine H. Bowles, daughter ofFrancis T. Bowles, President, and former US NavyRear Admiral, of the Fore River Shipbuilding Company. She wascommissioned on 23 November 1909.[5]
Grayling joined the Atlantic Torpedo Fleet asFlagboat for Submarine Division 3 (SubDiv 3). Along theUnited States East Coast,Grayling joined in diving,torpedo, and experimental exercises. She was renamedD-2 on 17 November 1911. She participated in the Presidential Review of the Fleet in theNorth River atNew York City from 5 to 18 May 1915.[5]
While patrolling outsideNaval Station Newport, Rhode Island, just 3 nmi (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) east ofPoint Judith, shortly before 14:00 on 7 October 1916,D-2 discovered theImperial German Navy submarineU-53 under the command ofHans Rose, heading towardsNewport, Rhode Island, as part of her hitherto unprecedented two-way traversal of theAtlantic Ocean without refueling or resupply. The United States was stillneutral inWorld War I, but there was an initial flurry of activity whenU-53 suddenly steamed away toport believing the submergedD-2 to be a British submarine, but whenD-2 surfaced so that a crewman could run aft to raise theUnited States flag,U-53 slowed.Lieutenant G. C. Fulker,commanding officer ofD-2, brought his submarine up close toU-53 on a parallel course to escortU-53 while in sight of land. As the submarines reached theBrenton Reef Lightship, Rose requested permission fromD-2 to enter port at Newport. Fulker granted it, and Rose called back bymegaphone, "I salute our American comrades and follow in yourwake."[6]
After the United States entered World War I, on the side of theAllies, on 6 April 1917,D-2 served in training and experimental work atNew London, Connecticut. On 31 July 1917, or 1 August 1917, she sank theschoonerCharlotte W. Miller in a collision nearBartletts Reef, near New London;Charlotte W. Miller later was raised but declared atotal loss.[7] On 14 September 1917,D-2 sank at pierside with all hands aboard. Her entire crew was rescued and she was refloated, repaired, and returned to service.[8]
D-2 was placed in commission, inreserve, at thePhiladelphia Navy Yard, inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, on 9 September 1919, and placedin ordinary, on 15 July 1921. She wasdecommissioned, on 18 January 1922, and sold as ahulk, on 25 September 1922.[5]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1917 | |
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| Shipwrecks | |
| Other incidents |
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